‘Urgent need’ for Syria regime to stop violating ceasefire, says Kerry

[rooster59]

‘Urgent need’ for Syria regime to stop violating ceasefire, says Kerry



There is an “urgent need” for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop violating the ceasefire in Syria, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, and called on Russia to help, the US State Department said.

It said Kerry, in a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, said “The United States expected Russia to urge the regime to comply with the cessation and that we would work with the opposition to do the same.”

After Syrian peace talks resumed in Geneva, Assad al-Zoubi, head of the umbrella Syrian HNC representing the main rebel factions said: “The government is sending a strong message that it doesn’t want a political solution, but a military solution that will bring destruction to the whole country.”

The chief Syrian government negotiator Bashar Ja’afari said a meeting with the UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura focused on submitting changes to a UN document issued in the previous round.

“The special envoy and his team will take advantage of the upcoming weekend to study our paper in-depth, which will then allow him to submit it to the other groups and come back to us on Monday with his position concerning these amendments,” said Ja’afari.

Just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised support for Syrian Kurds, saying the group is a serious force in the fight against terrorism, Kurdish representative Fouad Aliko said: “The demands of the Kurds are clear: we want a federal state and we think that the solution of the Syrian crisis lies in the creation of that federal state.”

The UN special envoy has said a political transition would be the main focus of the current round of talks.

Euronews correspondent Faiza Garah is in Geneva.

“Bashar Al Assad’s future is the main sticking point amongst the Syrian negotiators in Geneva. The opposition want the departure of Assad, the regime’s delegation considers that the exit of Assad is a red line and it is an issue that can only be decided by elections,” said Garah.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-04-17

[LawrenceChee]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

[Credo]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

No, what stinks is people who are critical of anyone asking people to stop killing each other.

[Kiwiken]

It is all about Oil. The people = squat

[Brewster67]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

[Brewster67]

It is all about Oil. The people = squat

Damn right. US and UK oil companies trying to use wars to destabilize countries and overthrow democratically elected governments to get their oil and gas pipelines into Europe.

[Baerboxer]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

No, what stinks is people who are critical of anyone asking people to stop killing each other.

What stinks is people who believe the sincerity of politicians who claim the side they don't support are breaking ceasefires whilst those they do support never ever do.

[Baerboxer]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

The Assad family have always enjoyed close relationships with Russia. America doesn't like this. Neither does Israel.

They saw the chance to replace the democratically elected Assad, with a regime more friendly to the US and more acceptable to Israel. The US's poodles in EU and Nato do as they're told.

Same in Ukraine. A democratically elected President, albeit a crook, kicked out with US support because he supported Russia not because he was a crook. And the fact he was democratically elected is immaterial.

Can anyone name one Middle Eastern or South American country where the US has interfered to install a "friendly" regime that has worked out well for the people of those countries?

But that's never been the objective. Protection and expansion of American interests is the game, a game Putin now wants to play too.

[Baerboxer]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

The Assad family have always enjoyed close relationships with Russia. America doesn't like this. Neither does Israel.

They saw the chance to replace the democratically elected Assad, with a regime more friendly to the US and more acceptable to Israel. The US's poodles in EU and Nato do as they're told.

Same in Ukraine. A democratically elected President, albeit a crook, kicked out with US support because he supported Russia not because he was a crook. And the fact he was democratically elected is immaterial.

Can anyone name one Middle Eastern or South American country where the US has interfered to install a "friendly" regime that has worked out well for the people of those countries?

But that's never been the objective. Protection and expansion of American interests is the game, a game Putin now wants to play too.

[casualbiker]

The USA should try and stay out of other people's business and get it's own country in order. Rather than <deleted> over other countries!

[craigt3365]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

Spot on. Russia should stop bombing innocent civilians. Leave Syria to the Syrians and stop supplying them with arms. Same goes for Iran and Saudi Arabia.

[craigt3365]

It is all about Oil. The people = squat

Agreed. Russia proping up Assad to stop the gas pipeline to europe through Syria. Not oil, but gas.

[craigt3365]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

Not so sure you've got your facts straight. You're hatred of the US seems to be causing some misinformation here. Putin is already interfering, and bombing innocent civilians. You are aware of this, right?

Problems in the middle east started centuries ago. Can't blame all the problems in the world on the US. Others are to blame also. Syria is a complex mess.

[Mosha]

It could get even more interesting. The Saudis are threatening the US over Congress and the 9/11 bill.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[Kiwiken]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

Spot on. Russia should stop bombing innocent civilians. Leave Syria to the Syrians and stop supplying them with arms. Same goes for Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Kirkuk-Banias pipeline runs from Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, to the Syrian town of Banias, on the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Lebanon. Ever since US forces inadvertently destroyed it in 2003, most of the pipeline has been shut down. While there have been plans in the works to make the Iraqi portion of the pipeline functional again, those plans have yet to come to fruition. And Syria has at least 2.5 billion barrels of oil in its fields, making it the next largest Middle Eastern oil producer after Iraq. After ten unproductive years, the oil companies dependent on the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline’s output are eager to get the pipeline operational again. The tension over the Syrian oil situation is certainly being felt by wealthy investors in the markets, who are thus dictating US foreign policy.

[craigt3365]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

Spot on. Russia should stop bombing innocent civilians. Leave Syria to the Syrians and stop supplying them with arms. Same goes for Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Kirkuk-Banias pipeline runs from Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, to the Syrian town of Banias, on the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Lebanon. Ever since US forces inadvertently destroyed it in 2003, most of the pipeline has been shut down. While there have been plans in the works to make the Iraqi portion of the pipeline functional again, those plans have yet to come to fruition. And Syria has at least 2.5 billion barrels of oil in its fields, making it the next largest Middle Eastern oil producer after Iraq. After ten unproductive years, the oil companies dependent on the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline’s output are eager to get the pipeline operational again. The tension over the Syrian oil situation is certainly being felt by wealthy investors in the markets, who are thus dictating US foreign policy.

Gas. Not oil.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2015-10-14/putins-gas-attack

Russia’s belligerence in Syria has renewed debates about Russian motives. James Nixey, head of the Russia and Eurasia Program at Chatham House, and Xenia Wickett, project director for the United States at Chatham House, probably put it best in their recent article: “Why, ‘logically’, would a country buckling under the strain of a crippled economy and which has itself been a recent victim of extremist terror, open up a second front of military operations far away from its traditional theatre of military engagement in the former Soviet space? And what else, other than ulterior motives to those officially stated, could explain Russia’s targeting of Syrian groupings other than ISIS strongholds?”

One answer is natural gas. Specifically, most of the foreign belligerents in the war in Syria are gas-exporting countries with interests in one of the two competing pipeline projects that seek to cross Syrian territory to deliver either Qatari or Iranian gas to Europe. In short, as Iran emerges from international sanctions and its massive gas reserves become available for export, Syria’s gas war is heating up.

[Thorgal]

It could get even more interesting. The Saudis are threatening the US over Congress and the 9/11 bill.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

Assad will hopefully not forget to send in the near future at least a memo to Kerry to respect the US/Saudi ceasefires...

Saudi's have chemical weapons and nukes...

Edited April 17, 2016 by Thorgal

[craigt3365]

I really like the words used ....we will urge the opposition to do the same

This stinks of another Vietnam ideological BS with the USA taking sides and believing this is the best option

They are all Syrians just like modern day Vietnam ....let them sort out their own issues and stop giving them arms as this escalates the problems and create a need to Attack scenario

Spot on. Russia should stop bombing innocent civilians. Leave Syria to the Syrians and stop supplying them with arms. Same goes for Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Kirkuk-Banias pipeline runs from Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, to the Syrian town of Banias, on the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and Lebanon. Ever since US forces inadvertently destroyed it in 2003, most of the pipeline has been shut down. While there have been plans in the works to make the Iraqi portion of the pipeline functional again, those plans have yet to come to fruition. And Syria has at least 2.5 billion barrels of oil in its fields, making it the next largest Middle Eastern oil producer after Iraq. After ten unproductive years, the oil companies dependent on the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline’s output are eager to get the pipeline operational again. The tension over the Syrian oil situation is certainly being felt by wealthy investors in the markets, who are thus dictating US foreign policy.

From your quoted article:

Syria is not key to global oil supply, but investors are worried the civil war there could affect other countries in the Middle East and plunge the whole region into conflict.

[tomwct]

Kerry is a coward and an idiot. I can say it because we served in Vietnam at the same Naval Port (Cam Rahn Bay! I was there

for 15 months and he was there for 90 days enough time for him to write himself 3 purple hearts, True Story!. 3 pin prinks

that drew blood! Coward, Coward, Coward!

[craigt3365]

Kerry is a coward and an idiot. I can say it because we served in Vietnam at the same Naval Port (Cam Rahn Bay! I was there

for 15 months and he was there for 90 days enough time for him to write himself 3 purple hearts, True Story!. 3 pin prinks

that drew blood! Coward, Coward, Coward!

Show some respect and get your facts straight. Kerry might have stretched the truth a bit, but his medals were earned.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/18/opinion/18kristof.html?_r=0

[Mosha]

It could get even more interesting. The Saudis are threatening the US over Congress and the 9/11 bill.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

Assad will hopefully not forget to send in the near future at least a memo to Kerry to respect the US/Saudi ceasefires...

Saudi's have chemical weapons and nukes...

I believe its more they have an understanding with Pakistan, that if they need them they will get them.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[craigt3365]

It could get even more interesting. The Saudis are threatening the US over Congress and the 9/11 bill.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

Assad will hopefully not forget to send in the near future at least a memo to Kerry to respect the US/Saudi ceasefires...

Saudi's have chemical weapons and nukes...

The US congressional committee found no link between the 9/11 bombers and the Saudi Arabia government. The bill won't get passed. Plus, as was reported in various financial news sites, the SA threat would hurt them badly also.

If the US is still bombing, it's focused on IS and not innocent civilians. Unlike others who are still bombing indiscriminately.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/16/world/europe/russian-forces-remain-heavily-involved-in-syria-despite-appearances.html?_r=0

[Morch]

Damn right. US and UK oil companies trying to use wars to destabilize countries and overthrow democratically elected governments to get their oil and gas pipelines into Europe.

This topic is about Syria.

[Rancid]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

Not so sure you've got your facts straight. You're hatred of the US seems to be causing some misinformation here. Putin is already interfering, and bombing innocent civilians. You are aware of this, right?

Problems in the middle east started centuries ago. Can't blame all the problems in the world on the US. Others are to blame also. Syria is a complex mess.

Depends whether the mainstream media is your sole source of information. As they say enlightenment comes from utilising your own objective thought rather than relying on others to spoonfeed you opinions.

True the colonial powers started the problems in the middle east, however cast your mind back to when today's problems actually started and who was involved.

Syria is a complete mess, but the Russians didn't cause it, it was ready a mess when they showed up. That aside I don't care who bombs nutters like ISIS, just glad someone did.

Anyone that's been to the US is unlikely to hate it, and certainly not Americans themselves. The most virulent criticism of the US comes from its own citizens and US blogs.

[craigt3365]

Kerry is a nob.

The ceasefire was NOT extended to terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Nusra etc, but the yanks can't stand the fact that Assad is making massive progress against these terrorists which we all know are armed, and funded by the US State Dept...

Who are they to tell another country that they should not be attacking terrorists and taking back territory they have seized and putting the local populations in a state of absolute terror?

If 'rebel groups' (as they like to call them) sprung up all over the USA and started massacring police and soldiers and murdering people in the streets at will..... Would the US government see them as 'rebel groups?... hell no, they would see them as TERRORISTS.

Would the US government accept Putin interfering and telling them, they should not be attacking these TERRORISTS????.... Hell no.

Kerry and the USA started all these problems all over the middle east, they should not be dictating the rules..... This ceasefire was only put in place because the US/UK backed terrorists were starting to lose.... They always come up with ceasefires when wars they create start going the wrong way for their own interests. Look at Ukraine.

Not so sure you've got your facts straight. You're hatred of the US seems to be causing some misinformation here. Putin is already interfering, and bombing innocent civilians. You are aware of this, right?

Problems in the middle east started centuries ago. Can't blame all the problems in the world on the US. Others are to blame also. Syria is a complex mess.

Depends whether the mainstream media is your sole source of information. As they say enlightenment comes from utilising your own objective thought rather than relying on others to spoonfeed you opinions.

True the colonial powers started the problems in the middle east, however cast your mind back to when today's problems actually started and who was involved.

Syria is a complete mess, but the Russians didn't cause it, it was ready a mess when they showed up. That aside I don't care who bombs nutters like ISIS, just glad someone did.

Anyone that's been to the US is unlikely to hate it, and certainly not Americans themselves. The most virulent criticism of the US comes from its own citizens and US blogs.

With all due respect, msm sites are not all bad. Some, yes, others, not at all. If you look at Syria, they've been having problems with extremists for a long time. Assad's father was rather brutal with his responses. And you are absolutely right. Russia didn't create this mess, but sure hasn't done the best things to resolve it either. Bombing IS is ok, innocent civilians is not.

Your last sentence is spot on. I see so many show disdain for the West, yet they still live there and enjoy all the related benefits. I'd love to hear their comments after a few years in Russia, china, etc. Most of them have never even been to these countries.

With respect.